Zydus Cadila plans to complete trials of COVID-19 vaccine by March

Zydus Cadila plans to complete late-stage trials for its novel coronavirus vaccine candidate, ZyCov-D, by February or March and could produce up to 100 million doses a year initially if it is successful, the company chairman said Friday.

“We are looking at about seven or a little more than seven months for the vaccine, provided the data is encouraging and the vaccine is proven to be effective during the trials,” Pankaj Patel, Chairman, Zydus Cadila told Reuters in an interview.

“We are also open to discussing partnerships with pharma companies in various geographies, but it is a bit premature right now, and we will be doing so at the end of Phase 1 and 2 trials,” he said.

Early-stage Phase 1 and 2 human trials are likely to be concluded in the next three months, he said.

Zydus Cadila is also planning to produce remdesivir that is in high demand globally after it showed promise in treating severe patients with COVID-19.

Patel said it has the capacity to produce up to 400,000 doses of remdesivir in the first month after it wins regulatory approval to make it in India.